Easy Recipe for Spring Rolls (Dim Sum)

These rolls are called spring rolls because these delicious rolls were mostly eaten during the spring festival. Spring rolls, chÅ«n juÇŽn in Chinese, normally have vegetable fillings. Cabbage is the common vegetable found in many varieties of spring rolls.

However the kind of wrapper/sheet and filling differ from country to country. Spring rolls are sometimes fried and sometimes eaten non-fried. The fried rolls have cooked fillings and the non-fried have non-cooked fillings. Spring rolls are awesome starters for any occasion, makes lovely finger foods for a party and makes perfect savouries for tea.

The non fried rolls are healthy as it has less oil, but the fried rolls are tastier because it is crispy !!!

I advice that rolls be fried just before serving or they will turn slightly soggy.

Spring rolls are mostly savory. The spring roll recipe that I have included below is slightly spicy and sweet, it is a very good recipe. There are millions of recipes out there but you will rarely come across one with the recipe for the sheet AND filling. So, I have written the recipe for the spring roll wrapper, spring roll crêpe and the spring roll filling.

ALL THE BEST! TRY IT OUT.

ART OF WRAPPER MAKING

Making spring rolls paper is a little tricky. If you are a beginner then try out the painting method that I have written below. I have not included water but it is normally 3/4 cup, if you are painting the wrappers.

If you want to try the method in the video (professional method) then use less water to get the correct consistency. The recipe remains the same and only the water required varies. To make the batter (watery dough) for the video below add water little by little till you get the elastic dough.

Just watching the video, it will make you sit up and hurry to the kitchen...ITS THAT AWESOME.

MAKES 25 ROLLS SKINS/RICE PAPER

Ingredients

1 teacup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

water

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients together and add enough water to make a batter that is thick as paint.

Now get your self a 4 inch clean paint brush.

Heat a skillet. Wipe it with a slightly oily cloth. (you can use an oil spray too)

Dip the brush in the paint and paint the surface of a hot skillet.

Paint a circle. When you do this, the wrapper will be paper-thin.

Once the wrapper is ready which will take only 6 to 10 seconds the wrapper will start to peel at the side. Now you can remove it with your hands or use a clean spatula.

Keep these between slightly moist cloth to prevent it from drying.

Easy way to make spring roll skins

SPRING ROLL CREPE

If you are not sure of trying out the recipe for spring rolls skins above, then try out these spring roll crepes. This kind of spring roll wrapper is easy to make but the wrapper will be slightly thick and not paper-thin.

The advantages are that these crepes will not dry out, it is easier than the above recipe and are very soft.

But remember that the original spring rolls uses the recipe above.

INGREDIENTS

100 g/1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 cups coconut milk or plain milk

1 egg

pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Sieve the flour and the baking powder 3 times.

Put the flour, salt, egg and milk in the blender.

Blend till you get a smooth batter.

Rest the batter for 15 minutes.

Heat a pan or skillet, rub some oil on it.

Pour 2 or 3 tbsp. of batter and spread it with the spoon fast, to make a thin crêpe.

Turn in on the other side after 1/2 minute.

Now use this instead of rice paper or spring rolls skin.

These spring rolls cannot be fried, eat it as a savory crêpe. If you intend to fry these, you should dip it in a beaten egg and coat with fine bread crumbs.

This is spring roll variation.

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE FILLING

Ingredients

200 g chicken boiled and shredded

2 tbsp. oil

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

100 g cabbage chopped roughly

100 g carrots Julianne

1 small onion sliced finely

2 green chilies chopped

1/2 small tomato chopped

2 tbsp oyster sauce

salt to taste

1/2 tsp white/black pepper

handful of coriander leaves

Instructions

Keep a pan on medium heat and add the oil.

Add the ginger garlic paste and as it turns slightly brown, add the onion and chilli.

Your filling will be half-cooked. This is what we want, as the vegetables will get fully cooked when frying the rolls.

Those of you who using store-bought wrappers try this type of envelope fold.

The wrapper normally is large so instead of cutting horizontally. Cut across to make the square a triangle.

FOLDING THE SPRING ROLLS

Keep a line of filling for 4 inches

Fold the sides to look like an envelope. Apply some flour paste and roll till the end. To make the flour glue add some water to flour and mix to get a thick batter, making sure that the batter is not watery. Watery batter will tear the spring roll sheet.

Fry it on medium or high flame till it turns a light brown color.

Keep them on a paper towel to absorb the oil.

Spring rolls are ready to be served!

The best thing about cooking is that you can never go wrong. Your faltered dish is another variation. I hope you will use this spring roll recipe to make your own variation that suits your family.

Even though I have used chicken filling for this spring roll recipe, you can try stir fried shrimps that will definitely taste awesome. Try out any thing under the sun to make a filling. I make spring roll filling out of salmon that tastes so good. Crab meat and cuttlefish will make a nice filling for a spring roll.

You can also use different vegetables and herbs. Brocoli and cauliflower are my favorites and I am hoping to make a filling using this.

All the best in your chicken. Don't be afraid to try something new.

Please leave your comments and suggestions below. Mail me something new that you have tried out and I will definitely post it here. Please remember to mention a name.